Pencil-sharpener.



PATENTED APR. 9, 1907.

0. G. SHERMAN. PENCIL SHARPENER.

APPLICATION FILED 0011s, 1906.

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OZRO G. SHERMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PENClL-SHARPENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

latented April 9, 1907.

A li ation filed October 15,1906. Serial No. 338,986.

1'0 all whom it 'l'rmg concern.-

Be it known that I, OZRO G. SHERMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in PeneilSharpeners, of which the following is a specification. gegjMy invention relates to devices for sharpening pencils by removing superfluous material to expose the central lead. Various devices for this purpose have been in use, especially those by which the material is removed by some form of abrading or milling apparatus. These devices are complicated and expensive. They operate at a fixed angle, which cannot be varied by the operator, and the angle is uniform both as to the wood and the inclosed marking material. 1 have overcome the disadvantages of these, as well as other pencil-sharpening devices, by providing an apparatus adapted to shave the pencil in a manner similar to that in which a pocket-knife is employed, providing, however, accessories for guiding and regulating the operation. By it a lead-pencil may be readily and quickly sharpened. Any desired taper of the wood or lead may be given at the will of the operator, and the cutting edge may be readily renewed or replaced. The whole is simple and cheap and so compact and of such a nature as to be a desirable appurtenance to a desk or oflice table, while it may be used, if desired, for a paper-weight.

A structure formed in accordance with the principles of my invention is illustrated in the drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a side view; Fig. 2, a top view, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. V

Further describing my invention with reference to the drawings, in which like characters of reference denote like parts throughout, 1 is a base or foundation block upon which the operative portions of my device may be mounted. It may be of any desired form, either curved or rectangular, as shown, and is preferably hollow on the upper portion to form a receptacle for shavings. A table or bearing-block 2 is provided with a straight portion 3, the line of whose upper face is indicated by the dotted line 4 in Fig. 1. It should be straight and inclined in the direc tion of the dotted line 3 3 or in the direction of its length. Upturned flanges 6 011 either side thereof act as guides for a pencil when in the process of sharpening. The under side of said bearing-block is cut away under the flanges to form an opening 7. The lower part of the plane portion is extended under the cut-away part beneath the flanges to form the lugs S. The end of said block next the opening is provided with a downwardlyturned member 10, through which may be passed the screw 11, having the knurled head 12. A knife or bit 15, preferably of considerable length, and in width suflicient to nearly span the slot 7, may be secured to the bearing-block under the flanges by placing the cutting edge in the notch 9 above the lug 8. Such notch should extend backward some distance from the end of the lug, but be rather shallow in its vertical dimension, so that the slant edge of the knife will be en gagcd by the forward end of the lugs without permitting the cutting edge to reach back to the bottom thereof. The relation of such lugs to the aperture 7 should be such as to give a considerable opening or throat 7. \Vhen the knife is placed in the position above described, the screw 11 is turned into engagement with the back thereof, thus firmly securing the knife in place. An upright 16, secured to the base 1 or formed integrally therewith, provides a support for the end of the bearing-block facing the knifeedge. This should preferably be elevated above the other end, which in turn is supported and secured to the base by the member 10.

hen the several parts are assembled as described, a pencil may be drawn back and forth between the flanges of the bearingblock, and as it passes over the cutting edge of the knife 15 the successive portions of material may be removed. By holding it at the desired angle and turning meanwhile any form or character of point may be given either to the wood or to the inclosed lead. As the edge of the knife becomes dulled in use successive fresh portions may be exposed until the edge has been used for the entire length, when the knife may be sharpened or a new one supplied at slight expense.

I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, the following:

1. In a pencil-sharpener, a bearing-block, guiding-flanges on each side of the block at one end thereof, the said block having a straight portion beyond the guiding-flanges and being cut away in its underneath face under the said flanges and having lugs projecting into said cut-away portion, a knife in said cut-away portion supported at its cutting edge by said lugs, and means carried by the bearing-block for supporting the knife at its other edge.

2. In a pencil-sharpener, a foundation, and a bearing-block supported at an incline on said foundation, guiding-flanges at each s de of the bearing-blo ck adjacent one end, the said bearing-block being cut away beneath said guidingflanges and having lugs projecting into the cut-away portion, a knife supported at its cutting edge by said lugs, and means carried by the bearing-block for supporting the opposite edge of said knife.

3. In a pencil-sharpener, a receptacle constituting a foundation, and a bearing-block supported at an incline on said receptacle and being cut away adjacent its lower end, lugs carried by the bearing-block and projecting into said cut-away portion, a knife mounted in said cut-away portion on said lugs with its cutting edge lying above the face of the bearing-block, and means carried by the bearingblock for maintaining the knife in engage ment with said lugs.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 13th day of October, A. D. 1906, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

OZRO G1 SHERMAN.

I/Vitnesses:

RAY GIBBS, W. H. MIHILLS. 

